Mikel: Family Threatened Me Over Money Demands
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has opened up about the intense financial pressures he faced from his family during his football career abroad.
Speaking on Rio Meets, a podcast hosted by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, Mikel recounted how relatives threatened him when he refused to meet their constant financial expectations.
Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most successful footballers, Mikel spent more than a decade at Chelsea, winning the UEFA Champions League and the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles.
Despite his success, he revealed that his wealth became a burden, with family members and in-laws expecting him to provide for them endlessly.
‘This is something people don’t know. You get threatened by your own blood. When you come from Africa, and this is something I don’t think we speak a lot about. When you make money, it is not your money. You have all these relatives, cousins, whatever you call it,’ Mikel said.
He explained how some of his sisters married men who saw his success as an opportunity to live comfortably, leaving him responsible for their growing families.
‘They keep having so many kids and then you say ‘you are having so much kids, who is going to look after them’? It is you, they think you owe them that. So you have to be strong to say ‘you know what guys, enough is enough’,’ he added.
Mikel’s father was kidnapped twice, incidents he believes were linked to his own fame and fortune.
After years of trying to satisfy everyone, he eventually made the difficult decision to draw boundaries, highlighting the hidden struggles many African footballers endure behind the glamour of their careers.
